Door control mechanism



`Iuly 17, 1962 A. L. PELCIN DooR CONTROL MECHANISM s l R. W W t 0 C f 1 S T. e N E uw w w mm wv fr m m mv Qw uw m. 1H ff r n Mmvfm E www@ ....K.. 2 A l J l vm.. w VW/.Q ww/A -R Q An Filed March 8, 1960 July 17, 1962 Filed March 8, 1960 A. L. PELCIN DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM WWII 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Awe-@r Pac/N g l BY MM,

Arroz? ys United States Patent G r- 3,044,287` Patented J ulyi 17, 1962 This invention relates to latch mechanisms of the push button type and, as one of its objects, provides a novel mechanism of this kind comprising only a small number of parts and in which the same parts are usable for both right-hand and left-hand installations. The mechanism is adapted for use in a substantially Hush-front installed relation and, since it has no dangerously projecting handle or the like for personal injury thereagainst, it can be used to advantage for sliding entrance doors of utility trucks and for various other sliding door applications.

Another object is to provide a novel latch mechanism of this character having a latch member pivoted for swinging of its latching means to latching and unlatching positions and wherein the push button actuator means is movable along a guide axis extending in a transverse crossing relation to a portion of the latch member for thrust co-operation therewith.

Still another object is to provide novel latch mechanism of the character above indicated and also comprising housing means having an inner end portion of the latch member disposed therein and connected therewith by pivot means, preferably by pivot means of a trunnion type.

This invention also provides a novel latch mechanism of the kind above referred to and having rear handle means effective to actuate the latch member by being connected therewith, preferably at or adjacent the pivoted or trunnioned end thereof.

Additionally, this invention provides novel latch mechanism of the kind mentioned above and embodying keyactuatable locking means for preventing door-unlatching actuation of the latch member, and wherein the latch member is movable in a separating relation to a thrust means of the push button actuator means to permit latching of the door while the mechanism is in a locked condition.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

FIG. l is a partial front elevation of associated door and doorframe members and showing the latch mechanism of this invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the latch mechanism and adjacent door and doorframe members as indicated by section line `2 2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation showing the latch mechanism and adjacent structure when viewed as indicated by the directional line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

As one practical embodiment of this invention'the drawings show a latch mechanism intended for use with a pair of associated door and doorf-rame members 11 and 12 and which is mounted on one of such members, in this instance on the doorframe member 12, for cooperation with a keeper 13 carried by the other such member, in this case by the door 1-1. The latch mechanism 10 includes a latch member =14 having a latching portion 15 engageable with the keeper 13 when the door 11 is moved to the closed position in which it is shown in the application drawings.

The doorframe member 12 is here shown as comprising an upright doorpost 16 and a wall panel orsheet 1-7 secured to the doorpost and having the latch mechanism `10 mounted thereon. The panel 17 has suitable openings therein to accommodate projecting portions of the mechanism 10 which will be referred to hereinafter.

The door 11 comprises spaced upright walls 19 and 20 connected with an upright stile or rail member 21 which is here shown as being'of a channel-shaped cross-section and having a resilient packing strip 22 disposed therein. The door v11 is here shown as being a slidable door which is laterally movable toward and away from the doorpost 16 and Whose packing strip 22 is engageable against a convex rib or bead projection 23 of the doorpost when the door is in its closed position as shown in FIGS. l and 2.

The keeper 13 can be of any suitable construction and is here shown as being in the form of an angle-shaped member or clip having one leg 25 thereof lying against the wall 19 of the door .11, and the other leg 26 thereof projecting from the door on the inner or rear side thereof and provided with an opening 27 into which the latching portion l15 of the latch member 14 is movable. The door I11 is provided on the opposite or outer side thereof with a handle 29 in the form of an angle-shapedmember or clip having one leg 30 thereof lying aaginst the wall 20 of the door and a hand-grip portion 31 formed by the other leg and projecting in an outward or forward direction relative to the door. The handle 29 and the keeper 13 are suitably secured to the door `11 as by means of fastening members or rivets -32extending through the door and through the leg portions 25 and 30 lying thereagainst.

The latch mechanism 10 further comprises a hollow support member 34 on which the latch member 14 is swingably mounted for movement to and from a doorlatched position in engagement with the keeper 13 as shown in FIG. 2, and front and rear actuating members 35 and 36 for manually moving the latch member to a door-unlatched position as Will |be further explained hereinafter.

The hollow support member 34 is here shown as being v a housing or box-like metal member or stamp-ing having a pair of opposed side walls 38 and 39, a pair of end walls 40 and 41, and a pair of front and rear walls 42 and 43. The side, end and rear walls of the support member 34 are here shown as being integral portions thereof but the front wall -42 is shown as being a cover plate extending across and closing a front opening leading into a chamber or recess 45 contained in the support member. The pairs of side and end walls 38, 39 and 40, 41 of the support member 34 are provided with pairs of out-turned lateral side and end anges 46 and `47 against which the coverpplate 42 lies and is secured by suitable screws 48 extending through the end flanges 47. The latch mechanism 10 is secured to the doorframe member 12 by suitable rivets or the like 49 4which extend through the wall panel 17, the cover plate 42 and the side flanges The latch member 14 comprises connected inner and outer arm portions 51 and 52, of which Ithe inner arm portion 51 is located in the chamber 45 of the support member 34, and the outer arm portion 52 projects from the support member through the end opening 53 thereof and carries the latching portion 15 which is located at the outer or free end of such projecting arm portion. The inner arm portion 51 extends in one direction in the chamber 45 of the-support member 34, in this case in a longitudinal direction so as to lie substantially in a parallel plane located between the cover plate 42 and the rear wal-l 43. At the inner end thereof the latch member 14 is provided with a trunnion portion 54 which is 1rigid with the inner arm portion 51 and is pivotally supported on the side walls 38 and 39 of the support member 34 by a transverse pivot shaft 55 extending through such side walls. Y l V latching portion is of a size and shape for self- The cover plate 42 and theV rear wall 43 of the support memberf34fare provided with guide openings 59 and 60 which lie on a common guide axis y6i. The guide axis 61 extends in another transverse direction across the chamber 45, that is, in a crossing relation to the inner -arm portion 51 of the keeper 14. The arm portion 5d is provided with an opening 62 which is also located .0n the common guide raxis. 61. Y

The front actuating member 35 of the latch mechanism 10 is a push button memberfhaving a push button portion 64 located in, and preferably extending through, the guide opening 59 and Va stem portion 65 extending through, `and guided in, the rear guide opening 60. The stem-portion 65 passes through the arm opening 62 of the keeper 14 and which latter opening is of aV suthciently larger transverse dimension than the stem portion 65 to engaged in the slot 67 as shownV in lFIG. 2, the push button portion 64 is held against inward actuation and Y the latch mechanism 16 is then in its door-locked condition. v

When theY latch mechanism 10 `is in the door-locked condition described just above, i-t will lbe observed that the latch member 14 will still be shiftable in its unlatching directionby movement of the inner arm portion 51 away from the vactuating shoulder 69. This freedom of movement for the latch member 14 relative to the front actuator 35 will permit a self-latching action of lthe latch member whenever the door 11 is moved to its closed position while the latch mechanism 10 isin a key-locked condition,and will also penmit movement of the latch member 14 to its vdoor-unlatched position by the rear actuating member V36 during any such time that the latch permit the pivotal swinging or relative tilting movement of the latch member.

The intermediate portionY of the front actuating member is an enlarged body portion 66, in this case a circular body portion, whose transverse dimension or diameter exceeds the front guide opening 59 so that such body portion will co-operate with the cover plate @i2 as aretaining means and stop element for limiting the outward movement of the push `button portion 64 in the guide Vopening 59. For a purpose to be presently explained,

the body portion 66 is provided with a groove or slot 67 in the side or periphery thereof. n

The `front actuator member 35 is provided on the inner side of the body portion l66 with a shoulder portion 69 surrounding the stem 65 and which is engage- -able with the inner arm portion 5-1 of the latch member mechanism 1t) is in its key-locked condition.

From the accompanying drawings and the foregoing detailed description it will now be readily understood that this invention provides novel latch mechanism for use with' a door or the like and which is of a simple and'practircal construction capable of being economically manufactured, assembled and installed. It will now also be understood that the novel latch mechanism of this invention provides a construction in which a pivoted latch member is actuatable to its door-unlatched position by a push button type of actuator member movable along a guide axis which extends transverse to an arm portion of the latch member. Additionally, it will be recognized that the latch mechanism provided by this invention is ofV a self-latching type but whose latch member is also movable to its door-,unlatched position by a rear actuating member even when the latch mechanism is in a key-locked condition. Y

Although the latch mechanism ofY this invention has been illustrated and describedherein to a somewhat detailed extent, it will-be understood, of course, vthat the 14 for imparting door-unla-tching movement to the latter.

A compression spring 70, disposed around the stem 65 and located between the rear wall 543 and the inner arm portion 51, `is'continuously effective on'the 4latch member 14 yfor urging the same toward 4its door-latched position, A second spring 71 is disposed around'lthe lstem 65 and -located between the arm portion 51 and the -body portion 66. 1 The spring 71 is relatively weaker than the spring 70 and is continuously'eiective against the body portion 66 for urging the push but-ton portion Y64 toward its extended position in the guide opening 59.

The rear actuating member 36 comprises a stem 72 rigidly connected with the latch member 14, preferably 4at the inner or ltrunnioned end thereof, and a knob or handle 73 on the outer Vend of such stem.` The stem 72 projects through an opening 74 of the rear Wall 43'of the Vsupport member 34 so that the handle 73 will be readily accessible to any person located in the space or compartment which is closed by the door 11. By swinging of 'the rear actuator member 36in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2, the iatch member 14Vcan be 'moved to its door-unlatched position in opposition to the spring 70 to thereby permit relative retracting movement of the latching portion 15 through the v,keeper opening 27 as the door 11 is slid to fits open position. e

At a point adjacent 'the guide opening 59 thereof, the

77. of a conventional form. v.The lock nuit 77 is retained in the opening 76 as by means of av lock nut-78V and includes a` rotatable stem 79 carrying a locking member.

or bladevS which is swingable'by the Astem to an engaged or locking position inthe Vslot -67 `of Ythe lfront invention is not to be regarded asV being limitedl correspondingly in scope but includes all changes and modifications coming Within the terms'of the claims hereof.

Having' described my invention, I claim:

1. In door latch mechanism: a'hollow support member comprising a housing containing a recess andV having walls including a pair of opposed iirst and second walls provided with iirst and second guide openings disposed ona com- Vmonguide axis; a latch member comprising an arm extending transverse to said axis including an inner end portion located in said recess and pivoted on said support member, and an outer end portion projecting'iromsaid housing and swingable to latching and unlatching positions by pivotal movement of said arm; said arm having an opening located on saidaxis; a first` actuator v,means comprising a push button portion slidably movable in said `first guide opening between an initial outer position Vswinging the same in opposition to said iirst Spring for moving said outer end portion to said unlatching position; thrust means on said stem portion and engageable with said arm for swinging the same in the unlatching direction in opposition to said rst spring inresponse to actuation of said push button'portion to said inner position in said iirst guide opening; and a second spring surrounding said stem portion between said arm and said pushbntton portion for urging the latter toward said initial outer position in Vsaid iirst guide opening.r

2. Door latch Vmechanism as `deiine'd in claim l wherein the walls of said housing include a second pair kof opposed walls and said inner end portionrof said arm is pivoted therebetween; said second actuator means comprising a stem rigid Awith said inner end portion and having handle means extending away from said housing.

3. Door latch mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said rst Wall comprises a cover member removably connected with the remainder of said housing and said second wall rcomprises a bottom wall of the housing; one of the Walls of the housing other than said cover member having another opening through which said lever projects.

4. Door latch mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said push button portion includes retaining means of greater transverse dimension than said rst guide opening and engageable with said rst wall on the inner side thereof in response to movement of said push button portion to said initial outer position by said second spring.

5. Door latch mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said first wall has a third opening therein spaced from said rst guide opening; said push button portion having a slot inthe side thereof at a point inwardly of said first wall; and pivotally movable key-actuatable locking means mounted in said third opening including a locking mem- 6 ber swingable to a locking position in said slot -by the pivotal movement of said locking means.

6. Doo-r latch mechanism as dened in claim 5 wherein said rst wall comprises a cover member removably connected with the remainder of said housing and having said key-actuatable locking means preassernbled thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,666 Lee Dec. 4, 1883 781,271 Dalrymple Ian. 31, 1905 1,199,849 Willoughby Oct. 3, 1916 1,369,820 Krizs Mar. 1, 192-1 1,487,603 Ratto Mar. 18, 1924 2,627,433 Wolfe Feb. 3, 1953 2,803,956 Womer Aug. 27, 1957 2,871,690 Johnson Feb. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,713 Italy May 21, 1948' 

